Rebels race past Huffman
HUFFMAN — Vestavia Hills High School senior quarterback Eli Sawyer said the Rebels “kind of” imposed their will on Huffman on Friday night at Vikings Stadium.
That’s an understatement.
Class 7A No. 9 Vestavia Hills scored points on all seven of its first-half possessions and raced to a 53-0 win in the regular season finale. The Rebels (7-3) led 46-0 at halftime.
“I think we played really well as a team,” Sawyer said. “I was real proud. We didn’t make any dumb mistakes tonight. We played a really complete game tonight.”
On its first drive, Vestavia Hills went up 3-0 on a 30-yard field goal by Matthew McMeans. The Rebels then scored touchdowns on its next six first-half possessions. Landon Neese scored on a 21-yard run, Sawyer kept the ball for a 4-yard touchdown, A.J. Powell bolted 2 yards for a score, Sawyer connected with Chandler Merrill for a 57-yard TD, Bryant Agee got in on the fun with a 5-yard run, and Sawyer found Merrill again for a 21-yard strike.
“If it’s not (the most points he’s been a part of), it was a close second,” Sawyer said. “That was a fun game to be a part of.”
For the second half, the usual 12-minute quarters were slashed to eight minutes with a running clock. A total of 21 plays were run between the two teams in the second half, one of which was a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown by Will Brooks. The Rebels’ defense also got three first-half fumble recoveries, two by Jermaine Harris and one by Michael Lawrence. The defense finished the regular season allowing an average of 13.8 points per game.
“That is awesome,” Sawyer said. “I’ve been saying it since Day 1 that we have the best defense in the state. I’m really proud of those guys. They work really hard.”
The 53 points were the most Vestavia Hills scored since a 56-14 win over Carver-Birmingham in 2013. The school record of 63 points came in 2007, also against Carver-Birmingham.
“I thought we executed,” said Rebels head coach Buddy Anderson. “We still made some mistakes we’ve got to correct.”
One highlight was after Merrill’s 57-yard touchdown the Rebels faked the extra-point attempt, and offensive lineman Hoke Smith ran it in for the two-point conversion.
“We work on that,” Anderson said of the play.
For Huffman (2-8), Jaylon Evans finished 3-of-10 for 38 yards and an interception. Lamondre Brooks was the leading rusher with 21 yards on four carries. The Vikings produced only 98 yards of total offense.
For Vestavia Hills, Sawyer finished 6-of-9 for 103 yards and two scores in the first half. Merrill caught four passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Neese finished with 59 yards on the ground and a touchdown on five carries. Powell gained all 35 of his yards and one score in the first half. Eight different Rebels carried the ball at least once.
Vestavia Hills now moves on to the first round of the 7A playoffs at James Clemens next week, the Rebels’ first postseason appearance since 2015. The two schools have never faced each other on the gridiron.
“We prepare like it’s any other week, but we ramp up the energy,” Sawyer said. “Playing at James Clemens is going to be cold just like this night. They’re a good team and we’ve got to prepare just like we’re playing Hoover or somebody like that. It’s a big game.”
Anderson also said his team will prepare like it’s any other week.
“They’re a good football team,” he said. “They’ve got some good players. It’s going to be a big challenge for us because it’s going to be like playing another big region game.”
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